The Finnish Border Guard reported a spike in asylum seekers arriving without required travel documents to Finland's southeast border in a statement on Nov. 12.
Ninety-one people have arrived at the border crossing points in Southeastern Finland without required travel documents since August 2023, according to the agency responsible for enforcing border security.
The agency said the asylum seekers are citizens of third countries who used Russia for transit. The spike marks a change in approach from the Russian authorities in the area who previously prevented people without the necessary travel documents from traveling to Finnish border crossings, according to the report.
The agency called the development “a phenomenon of illegal migration,” saying it will continue to monitor the situation and evaluate its impacts on Finland’s public order and security.
The country shut its border for the Russian tourists in September 2022.
